Collection device.



F. W. LANCASTER.

COLLECTION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-16, 1914.

. \O// W7 J wz w w m j a h g D 5 Emm 5 M FRANK W. LANCASTER, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

COLLECTION DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent'edJune 15, 1915.

Application filed November 16, 1914. Serial No. 872,471.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK W. LANCASTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jacksonville, in the county of Duval, State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collection Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to collection devices and more particularly to devices of this character adapted for use in churches.

The object of the invention resides in the provision of a device of this character the use of which will serve to stimulate church contributions by always exposing to view the names of those members who have failed to contribute since a predetermined time.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a collection device constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the device looking at the inner side of the front thereof; Fig. 3, a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a section on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2;-Fig. 5, a perspective view showing the keeper of one of the pivoted plates or shutter, and Fig. 6, a perspective view of one of the shutters.

Referring to the drawing the device is shown as comprising a casing A which includes a front member 10, a rear member 11, side members 12 and 13, a top member 14, and a bottom member 15. The front member 10 terminates short of the bottom member 15 to form a space 16 and this space is adapted to be closed by means of a door 17 hinged to the bottom member 15, said door being secured in closed position through the medium of a suitable lock 18. The front member 10 is provided with a plurality of pairs of transverse slots 19 and 19 of which the lower slot of each pair is of a size to permit of the insertion of the desired coin while the upper slot is an exhibition slot.

Pivoted to the casing adjacent to each pair of slots 19 and 19' is a plate or shutter 20 which in one position covers onlythe slot 19, the covering portion of the plate in this position bearing the name of a contributor which is thus exhibited through the opening 19. The plate or shutter 20 has also marked thereon the word Paid and when the shutter is moved from the previously mentioned position as hereinafter described that portion of the shutter bearing the name of the contributor moves over the slot 19 while that portion of the shutter bearing the word Paid moves into position over the slot 19 to be seen through it. Thus in one position of the shutter the coin receiving slot 19 is opened and the name of the contributor appears in the slot 19 while in the other position of the shutter the coin receiving slot 19is closed with the name of the contributor appearing in it while the word Paid appears in the slot 19, thus precluding a further contribution and indicating that the contributor has paid his contribution.

In order that the shifting of the shutter from the unpaid indicating position to the paid indicating position may be accomplished automatically by the introduction of the contribution through the slot 19, there is mounted upon the inner side of the front of the member 10 a vertical shaft 21 having at its lower end an arm 22 that extends part-way over the slot 19 so as to permit the introduction of a coin without pressing the arm rearwardly. A helical spring 24: wound upon the shaft 21 with one end bearing against thecasing and the other end against the arm 22, holds the arm normally and yieldably across the slot 19 with the lower edge portion of the shutter 20 resting thereon and the name of the contributor exposed through the opening 19. When a coin is introduced'through the opening 19 the arm 22 is forced rearwardly from beneath the shutter which then drops and while covering the slot 19 exposes the name of the contributor therethrough while the word Paid appears through the slot 19.

In order to return the plates or shutters 20 to their raised positions, there is employed a vertically shiftable rod 26 for each vertical series of shutters, which rod 26 is provided vol with a finger 27 for each shutter positioned 7 below the corresponding shutters. The rod 26 projects through the bottom of the casing and it will readily be understood that when the rod is pressed upwardly the fingers 27 will engage the shutters and raise them, the spring 24: serving to move the arms 22 beneath the shutters when they have been raised to the proper height.

WVhat is claimed is A device of the class described comprising a casing having its front Wall provided with a plurality of pairs of slots a plate pivoted adjacent the slots of each pair and normally held in covering relation to one slot, and means operable by the insertion of a coin in the other slot to release the plate for movement to covering relation With respect to both slots.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature, in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

FRANK WV. LANCASTER.

Witnesses:

H. W. JAMES, J. B. GREEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

